Former University of Alabama President Guy Bailey says he resigned because his ill wife would drive herself to meet the social obligations of being a president's wife and that would put her life at risk.

Two top aides to former University of Alabama President Guy Bailey are leaving the school but will continue to draw a salary for months.

Both presidential assistant Mary Larson Diaz and presidential chief of staff Justin Clark moved to Tuscaloosa with Bailey from Texas Tech University after he took the job at Alabama. Their combined salaries were $246,000 annually.

But both positions were eliminated following Bailey's unexpected resignation after just two months on the job.

The new president of the University of Alabama is receiving a salary and benefits package worth as much as $652,000 annually. Guy Bailey began work last week as president of the campus in Tuscaloosa. Responding to an open records request by The Associated Press, the university says Bailey's annual salary will be $535,000. Alabama native will be eligible to receive a performance incentive of $105,000 a year based on meeting certain goals. But those benchmarks have yet to be established.

The new president of the University of Alabama is settling in. Dr. Guy Bailey officially took over as leader of the Tuscaloosa campus. Bigger enrollment and more research are just two of his goals. Dr. Bailey says the University’s engineering and science departments may soon be the focus of greater research. The new president adds that the liberal arts could shine as well… “We’ve always had a great creative writing program here." says Bailey. "The English program is good…after all, it produced me!